Banana Slugs
by AuthorSavvY
Summary: Because what other five year olds have a banana slug pact on their friendship?


**beginning**

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 1: A Few Steps Further Than A Promise ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>They're five when they make the pact. It's right before kindergarten, when everything's supposed to change in a young toddler's life. They've been best friends since birth and wouldn't dream of drifting apart, but everything's better with a promise. The two have been climbing trees, learning to swim in the creek, and playing together for so long, pinky promises just won't do.<p>

Jack Overland and Elsa Arendelle do everything together. Their parents, high school friends, may or may not have collaberated so their children could be best friends of the same age, and it couldn't have worked out better. Jack is eight days older than Elsa, but he always celebrates it late and she early just so they can have joined parties. They shared their first steps together. Jack was first to stumble his way to standing, and he had waited for Elsa to learn before they tried walking.

It's easy enough to sneak away to Jack's mother's garden in the middle of the night. Elsa giggles as she runs, shamelessly pulling out the ridiculous blue satin ribbon her mother always ties in her hair. She's allowed her overalls but her mother reigns her platinum blonde locks, for better or for worse. Jack's hair is brown and perfectly messy. He doesn't bother with it, and Elsa inherits the trait of not caring from him, just like he gets the trait of caring from her. They don't know it, but they complete each other.

"Come on, Elsa!" he calls, laughing. He's wearing a button down navy blue shirt with brown shorts, his shoes deserted somewhere long ago. Elsa's shoes are still on her feet, but they won't be for long.

"Race you!" she challenges. Both of them are in youth soccer, and Elsa has recently taken up ice skating lessons.

They dart through the gate and their feet slap the paved stonewalk as they race around the garden.

Jack wins by an inch, but he says, "It's a tie."

They catch their little breaths and lay on their backs in the comforting heat of the night. Elsa closes her eyes and rests her hands neatly on her stomach, while Jack's hands are folded behind his head. They both are silent as they listen to the peaceful music of the crickets around them.

It is nice. They're best friends. Always have been, always will be. They know it, but like their minds figure, pacts make everything official. They're only five, they don't even really know what a pact is, but it sounds very grown-up so it must be important, right?

"Alright, you ready?" Jack asks.

Elsa bunches her face up like she's just tasted something awfully sour, but she nods. If Jack can do it, so can she. Besides, she's already agreed to it.

Barefoot, they don't have to search through the lettuce leaves for long.

Jack finds one first, fearlessly leaning over to grasp his slimy prize in his bony fist.

The thing is small and fat and very, very ugly, but it's just what he's looking for. It is a putrid yellow, its texture too slimy to be anything rough. It's curled up with its eye stalks pulled in tight. He looks down at it proudly.

"Find one yet?" Jack asks Elsa.

"This is really slimy," Elsa announces proudly, popping up from the lettuce leaves to reveal a second and equally ugly creature that barely fits in the palm of her hand.

"You won't have to worry about it for long, silly," Jack laughs, folding his fingers around the tiny organism.

"Okay." she says bravely. She reminds herself that she's just as tough as Jack, and she can do this.

Pacts are impotant, they think, and they have to mean something. They don't ever want to drift apart because of other things, and this is just a few steps further than a promise. After all, if they can't make a pact that their friendship will remain as continuous and reliable as the banana slugs that terrorize his mother's garden then what can they make a pact about?

"You first," Elsa says.

"Course," Jack smirks, an art he's beginning to perfect at such an alarmingly young age, and finishes it off with a cheeky grin.

"Ready?" Elsa offers.

"Born ready," he replies happily.

"Alright," Elsa climbs onto a rock in the middle of the garden. It's not a very big rock, but it's big enough for her tiny self to feel like a female Lion King. She clears her throat, looking very serious. "Please, sir, your banana slug."

Jack hands her his banana slug while relieving her of her own so she can hold the one.

"Mr. Jackson Overland, by agreeing to this pact, you are agreeing to never break off your friendship with me- I mean, with Miss Elsa Arendelle, and that you will always be there, should she- Miss Arendelle- need you. Do you accept?"

"Yes."

"It's supposed to be 'I do.'"

"Why?"

"Because everything is better with 'I do,'" she argues. She wishes she were older than him so she could say, 'because I say so,' but thus is not the case.

"Fine. I do."

"Good. I mean," she clears her throat again, "very well then. I present to you this banana slug with which you will use to prove your worth in upholding this pact."

Jack isn't going to back down, and he takes the slug from Elsa's hands. He stares at it. It's so slimy and he's sure it won't taste good, but it's for his best friend, so it must be worth it, right?

"And let 'banana slugs' be our emergency word in any time or place. You will drop everything and come. Promise?"

"Promise."

Before he can change his mind, Jack slurps the creature into his mouth and tries not to show his disgust.

The banana slug is just as slimy in his mouth as it was on his hand, and the fact that it's still alive doesn't help anything. They probably should have washed it off with the hose first, but they don't think of this because they're five.

Unpleasant doesn't begin to describe the taste and texture of the banana slug. It is the most disgusting thing Jack has ever had the unfortune to put in his mouth and probably will always be. He can't really chew it, so it's sort of stuck in his mouth until he can figure out a way to get it into his stomach.

Eventually, he resolves to swallowing the thing. He makes a retching noise as it slides down his throat, and he tries really very extra hard not to fall to his knees from the taste alone.

Elsa has her nose srunched up as she watches her best friend, but a smile adorns her face. There's something awfully funny to the whole situation that she can't quite put her finger on, but she suddenly feels like bursting out laughing.

Jack coughs and resists the urge to vomit all in his mother's lettuce plants. But this is for their friendship, and it means the world to each of them.

The two have always been side by side. They never plan on leaving it, either. The two can't wait until Elsa's younger sister, Anna, and Jack's younger sister, Emma, are old enough for the four of them to play. Anna has just turned three, and Emma's still in a cradle, so it's just them, like it always has been. Jack and Elsa against the world, forever best friends.

When Jack holds Elsa's hand, it fits perfectly in his. This is just a fact for the both of them, like how Jack's hair is brown or how Elsa's eyes are blue. Always best friends. They know it. A pact is honestly unnecessary for the two, but it's worth it in their young minds.

Which is why Jack doesn't mind that he's deliberately disobeyed his mother to come to the garden with Elsa, why he doesn't mind that he just ate a banana slug for his best friend, why he doesn't mind when she ends up chickening out and drinking a cup of mustard instead. She swears it's like eating a banana slug, but she promises all the same while he teases her about not really knowing. Being a boy prime in his youth, he is quite proud that he managed to eat one and his best friend did not.

They still keep the emergency word the same, though, and when they walk hand in hand to kindergarten the next day, they feel as close as close can possibly be because what other five year olds have a banana slug pact on their friendship?

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 2: White-Haired Freaks Together ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>They're in first grade when the emergency word is first used. Neither of them have forgotten. Elsa knows that boys have cooties but she doesn't care. Though she didn't eat a banana slug for her best friend (who happens to be a boy), she did drink a cup of mustard (and she really hates mustard) and she's not going to back out on their pact because the other girls go screaming away from any boy that comes within a five foot radius.<p>

Elsa and Jack don't understand what bullies are, but Elsa finds out. Because she prefers Jack to be her best friend, she is different. Jack is friendly and all the boys like him, so he doesn't suffer the same way Elsa does.

Jack loves school. He's particularly good in P.E. and math. His teacher is the same as Elsa's, so how can life get better? He has lots of friends. Some of them talk about basketball. He likes playing it during recess, so who knows? Maybe he'll play it, too. Perhaps he can try and get Elsa to join. She enjoyed soccer but had to quit because it interfered with her skating lessons.

Elsa doesn't love school. Don't get her wrong, she loves learning and is quite talented at it, but her only friend is Jack. She prefers to stay inside and read a book during recess and asks to eat lunch in the classroom instead of the cafeteria. The bullies scare Elsa, which is unfamiliar to her because she's supposed to be tough, like Jack.

They tease her about Jack, about her liking boys more than girls, about how nerdy she is for taking pleasure in reading and learning. It doesn't help that she wears overalls everyday. Although, no matter what the bullies say, Elsa refuses to ditch her overalls for pretty dresses and skirts like the other girls wear. She still asks Jack for help in the morning untying her blue satin bow from her hair. Her mother loves to braid her hair, and Elsa's fine with it, but is the bow really necessary?

She doesn't think so.

But in the mornings, she and Jack get picked up by the bus and they always sit together. Lots of kids ask Jack to sit next to them, but he always declines. Elsa always feels bad and encourages him to sit with others, but she doesn't realize that he'd much rather sit with her.

She's sitting in the stall of a bathroom with her backpack balanced on her lap and her eyes squeezed shut with her hands over her ears. Maybe she can block out the voices of the bullies that have been haunting her all day. It's recess and there's a substitute teacher today, so she can't stay inside.

The bullies picked her out immediately. Lately, they have moved on to downgrading her appearance. Her "white hair" was weird and she was a freak for having such a color. She tried to defend herself by sayjng that she can't help how she looks, but that only made them laugh. And so, she had gone running to the bathroom.

She had run into Jack on the way who had asked her what was wrong, but she simply told him the truth; she was going to the bathroom.

She's been here for five minutes already, all she has to do is wait until the bell rings. She tries to remember what time it was when recess started and what time it would be now.

"It was twelve, so it's twelve twenty now, meaning I have ten more minutes."

She sighs and places her chin on the straps of her backpack while hugging it to her chest.

Sometimes, she really hates school.

"Elsa?" a voice calls. She freezes.

He can't possibly be here...this is the girls' bathroom for goodness sake!

She quiets her breathing and tucks her knees up, hoping he won't see her in the stall.

"Elsa?" Jack calls again. He's just wandered into the girls' bathroom, he's not going to leave now. "Come on Elsa, what's wrong?"

She sniffs, but immediately scolds herself.

"Elsa?"

Too late now, she figures. She utters two words: "Banana slugs."

She can hear Jack's voice catch in his throat as he pauses. She waits for him to say something.

She is soon greeted with Jack's head poking underneath the stall door.

She squeals and jumps up.

"Jack!" she cries. He just looks amused at her reaction.

"Girls' bathrooms are weird," he grins, and she shoves him back against the stall door.

"Jack! This is the girls' bathroom!"

They're both tiny enough that they have space to face each other comfortably in one stall. Elsa is backed against the toilet but it isn't awkward because they're both seven and don't worry about these kinds of things.

"Thanks for letting me know, I'll remember that. Now what's wrong?" he demands, suddenly serious again.

Elsa hangs her head. She can't get out of this now. After all, she's the one who called banana slugs in the first place. But it's not just her, now. Jack is here and he always will be. She finds comfort in this as she begins to explain about the bullies. She tells him how they tease her everyday for wanting to be friends with him instead of her, how they mess with her things, how they call her the Ice Princess for ignoring them(also referring to her ice skating), how they also call her a white-haired freak.

And it feels good to tell him everything. Really good.

When she finishes, she is near tears and Jack simply wraps his arms around his best friend and squeezes as tight as his skinny arms can manage.

"Don't listen to them," Jack smiles. Elsa smiles back and when they sneak Jack out of the girls' bathroom, Elsa tries to ignore the bullies taunts and jeers as they pass.

She feels stronger now, like she can handle it. Which is kind of stupid, as she's never been alone, but sometimes she just has to be reminded of it.

After school, they call her Ice Princess and white-haired freak, but she just keeps her eyes down as she finds her place on the bus next to Jack. It does bother her, but she will be strong and tough. She can handle it.

All the same, it still makes her feel better when Jack shows up at school the next day with his brown, tussled locks bleached white, claiming that they can be white-haired freaks together from now on.

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 3: Moving Away But Not Apart ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>The emergency word isn't used again for a few years, but when it is, it's a good time for it. This time, it's Jack saying it.<p>

"Hello?...Oh, hello Jack. Yes, Elsa's here...I'll put her right on. Elsa, dear!" Elsa's mother calls her from downstairs, but she's already in the kitchen. She came running down when she heard Jack's name.

"It's Jack," she says, and Elsa nods. She doesn't say that she already knows.

"Jack?" she asks.

"Hey, Elsa," he replies. Elsa cringes. It's only been a day since she last saw him, why does he sound so tired and drained? She can hear it just from his voice over a landline phone, that's how well she knows him.

"What's up?" she treads carefully. She knows something's wrong, but she's afraid to come right out and ask.

There's a long, unconfortable pause before he finally says it: "Banana slugs."

She sucks in a breath. "I'll be right there."

She runs out of the house with her platinum blonde hair pulled back in her mother's braid, her overalls have one shoulder unhooked with a blue, short-sleeved T-shirt poking out. Her feet are bare but Jack's house is right next to hers, she doesn't need to go very far.

She doesn't knock on his door when she arrives. She simply lets herself in. Mrs. Overland and Mr. Overland are arguing in the kitchen and she doesn't like the sound of it. Grown ups are supposed to be calm and level headed. She's never seen or heard her parents fight so she's not sure what's going to happen when she finds Jack.

She sneaks upstairs, peeling off to the left as soon as she reaches the top.

Jack's bedroom is painted a navy blue, and on the ceiling is a cluster of stars that the two put there themselves just last December when they spent the night at Jack's house for their eleventh birthday. It's a comforting place with a small desk for homework that Elsa uses more than he does, with clothes sprawled across the floor and various belongings littering here and there. Jack has the kind of bunk bed that is an office space beneath and a sleeping area in the top.

Elsa enters the dark room, squinting her eyes so she doesn't trip or step on anything sharp. She makes it to the wooden ladder that used to be much larger and climbs. Jack is bundled up underneath the blanket and he's laying with his knees tucked up to his chest.

"You called?" Elsa says after a moment of silence. Jack opens one eye, as if making sure she's not his mom or dad.

Jack's eyebrows move closer together, and Elsa notices for the first time how red his eyes are. Before she can react, Jack looks away, but it's too late, she's already seen the tears that are leaking out of his eyes.

She doesn't say anything as she crawls forward to snuggle under the covers with him, embracing his shaking body and wordlessly giving him the comfort he so desperately needs.

This is how she learns that Jack's parents are divorcing, and that he and Emma are going to be moving away. Luckily, they'll still be able to go to the same school, but he and Elsa aren't going to be neighbors anymore and it's just not going to be the same. She feels like crying, too, but it's Jack's banana slug moment, not hers, so she keeps it together and hugs him, instead. She's going to miss him like crazy, she knows that for sure. Going to school and going to each other's houses just isn't the same as being walking distance at any time of the day or night.

It doesn't take long for everything to take effect, and by the time they aren't neighbors anymore they're starting middle school. Jack and Elsa are still best friends, but they aren't joined at the hip. Jack plays sports now, he has other friends, too. Elsa still comes first, but it's easy to forget about her troubles when he's playing. Elsa's very close with her sister, Anna, and they play together all the time. Anna isn't much of a skater, but she still likes to watch her older sister. Elsa has already landed her axle and taken part in many competitions. Jack and Anna had been there cheering her on from the crouds every single time, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Another family has moved in to Jack's old house. They have a boy Anna's age named Kristoff and Elsa's glad that the two have become fast friends. They like to ride bikes together and play with Kristoff's puppy, Sven. Sometimes she gets lonely but the solitude is good for her and besides, she can't rely on Jack her entire life.

The only thing that's really changed is that Elsa has graduated from Ice Princess to Snow Queen in the other girls' eyes, but Elsa doesn't care. In fact, it's become their shared inside joke. By their age, it's beginning to become "cool" to have a boyfriend/girlfriend but Elsa and Jack are happy with each other. Jack is starting to wear jeans, other than his expected basketball shorts or brown trousers, and Elsa still prefers her overalls. Lots of girls find her weird for not discovering makeup or curling her hair, but she's perfectly fine with her mother's braid and her makeup-free face.

They aren't neighbors anymore, but they're still best friends. They've moved away, but not apart. Never apart, because one can't seperate Jack and Elsa with an electric spatula. They still have the banana slug pact on it, and neither are about to forget.

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 4: Come If She Called ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>Nothing has really changed. Elsa wears more than just her overalls and Jack loves sports, but everything is still physically normal. But everything has changed in Elsa's mind.<p>

The first is that she's had her first outing with Anna. Anna's first boyfriend, Hans, is a jerk, but only Elsa sees it. Anna is blind because she's in love, even though she's only thirteen and doesn't know what love is.

Elsa tells her so, but Anna only snaps in shouting that she's a terrible sister and that she doesn't know what love is either. Elsa ends up walking away and stalking off to the creek to stand in the water even though it's the middle of winter. Angry tears streak her face but she doesn't bother to wipe them away.

It nearly freezes her feet off but there's a relief that she can't quite understand, can only be grateful. Her phone is in her pocket, and she fingers it, but she doesn't take it out.

The second thing that has changed is that Elsa can't stop seeing Jack. Of course he's her best friend, and she sees him everyday, but she can't help but...notice. Undeniably, he's handsome, he's tall, lean, athletic, and kind natured with a mischievous glint in his eyes that never dulls, but why should she care? She doesn't understand why she does, and at the same time she understands clearly.

She's developing a crush on her best friend.

It's so ridiculous that she can't help but snort at the idea, but she can't help it. She doesn't want anything to happen, it would be too weird, and she also doesn't want to like him. It ruins everything. She feels like she's lying to him, even if she's not. It's not a good feeling but she can't shake it off.

He's also on his first date. She knows that if she called, he would cancel in a heartbeat to come to her, and she is touched by that, really, but still. She doesn't want to ruin his first date.

Which is the main reason why she doesn't call him.

So Elsa stands in the freezing cold creek with her hands fingering her phone she has no intentions to use, tear tracks staining her reddened cheeks, her boots and socks forgotten at the edge of the water. The saddening fact is that she needs him. She knows he would come if she called.

She doesn't call.

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 5: Edge Of The Ice ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>It's not Jack who says banana slugs outright, but it might as well be.<p>

A year later, they are seventeen and it is the closing of winter of their junior year. Jack decides that it is a good time for him and Emma to go skating for one last time.

"Be careful," their mother tells them.

Jack smiles back. "We will," he promises.

Emma is excited. She's been practicing all winter long and this might be the last time they can go the pond. Jack loves his sister dearly and will do anything for her. He thinks of inviting Elsa but he figures he better not. It's a Friday on their Christmas break, she's most likely wasting away in her beloved skating rink.

"Alright, lace up," he says, ruffling her hair. He gets his skates as well and ties them on swiftly. Emma is grinning and he thinks it's a nice sight.

Jack tests the ice first. It seems solid, so he beckons Emma out and she gleefully darts out. She's a little wobbly, but she can skate fast with enough accuracy.

He laughs while she smiles and giggles. Her arms jut out every now and then to keep from falling, but she's doing okay.

Neither of them are dressed very appropriately. Emma's wearing a brown dress with matching leggjngs, her thin hair the only cover she has for her ears which are turning red. Jack is wearing an off-white button down shirt with brown jeans and a lightweight brown jacket.

He's still laughing, so he doesn't hear the crack. Emma does.

"Jack!" she cries softly, her eyes full of fear when she looks down. Jack stops laughing and looks down at her feet as well. He prays there isn't a crack, that she's just hearing things...

But sure enough, a small crack in the ice is spreading at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Stay calm," Jack immediately tells her. Emma is terrified, he can see it in her eyes, but he tries to remain collected, like he has it under control.

"Jack, I'm scared," she calls quietly, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Easy, okay? We're gonna get you out of there, I promise," he says. He slowly unlaces his skates, slipping them off his feet. The ice is freezing but it's the least of his worries.

"Jack," she says, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I know, I know," Jack's eyes dart around, looking for some way of safe escape. "Don't be scared. We're gonna have a little fun, okay?"

"No, we're not!" she objects weakly.

"Would I trick you?"

"Yes, you always play tricks!"

"Well, not this time," he assures. "We're just...gonna play hopscotch. Like we do all the time."

She breathes out like she doesn't believe him, which she doesn't, but she watches him, desperate for some way out.

"It's as easy as one," he lightly leaps away a step, landing and making the ice spiderweb outwards, but it holds. He smiles and pretends to nearly topple over. It gains a small giggle and a halfhearted scolding.

"Two," he takes another leap. One more. "Three."

He's safe. Now for her. Jack grabs a long, curved stick that he had brought on the ice to skate around with, and reaches out with it.

'Your turn," he encourages. "One."

She frowns, but takes a small step forward. The ice cracks and she gasps.

"No, no, no, don't look down. Look at me, look at me. Come on, two."

She moans, scared, but takes another step.

Jack suddenly leans forward and catches the stick around her petite waist, snatching her from danger and flinging her to safety. Where Jack no longer is.

He himself has been thrown in her place, but he has yet to realize it.

Emma doesn't see it either, until it's too late.

They exchange celebratory smiles before the ice splits, plunging Jack into the icy depths of the black water.

"Jack!" Emma shrieks, running forward. Jack is holding onto the edge of the ice, his lips already chattering, but he commands her to stop.

"No! Emma! Emma, listen to me. My phone's in my jacket pocket, it's just over there," he tries to point where he had thrown his jacket earlier, and she sees. "Call the police. Nine one one. Then...call Elsa. Tell her 'banana slugs'. She'll understand."

Emma doesn't have time to snicker at his ridiculous request, and she obeys as quickly as she can.

They get there in time to drag him out, but he ends up passing out from the cold. He shivers the entire ambulance ride.

Elsa's just getting off the ice when her phone vibrates.

Jack, the caller ID reads.

She picks up, sliding on her guards as she does so. "What's up?"

"Elsa! It's Jack! Quick!" Emma shouts breathlessly. Her voice is so loud Elsa has to pull the phone a few inches away from her ear.

"Slow down, Emma, what's going on?"

"It's Jack. He told me to tell you...banana slugs?"

Elsa stops and she swears she can feel her heart drop to her stomach. No, more like to her feet.

"Where is he?"

"We're on our way to the emergency room."

"I'm on my way," she says, and hangs up. She's never unlaced skates so fast in her life. Her duffel bag is slung over her shoulder lazily as she sprints out of the rink, throwing her things in the back of her car before climbing in and flooring the gas.

She's honestly surprised she doesn't get stopped, but nonetheless grateful. She's in a rush and a panic which is not the best combination for Elsa.

When Jack wakes up, he's in the emergency room and he doesn't quite remember why. He hears shouting, and he tries to sit up. Everything is just so cold.

He shivers but pushes it down so he can concentrate.

"What do you mean I can't go in?" a fmailiar voice demands.

"The patient's in a very unstable condition, he's not ready for any visitors at the moment. Please understand that-"

"He's awake," Elsa interrupts, and he imagines her crossing her arms. He doesn't stop to marvel at how she knew that he had just woken. Best friend telepathy, he figures.

But she had come. She is here. Jack smiles and blows out, thinking that he will see his breath just because he's so cold. He feels like he's in a refrigerator, no, scratch that, a freezer.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but you still can't go in to see him."

Why the hell not? he thinks. She's practically family anyhow.

"Please, I just-"

"No. I'm sorry but I just can't allow you in to see the patient. Wait until he's in better condition. He's suffering from serious-"

"Shock, hyperthermia, trauma, stress, I know." Elsa and the nurse take turns cutting each other off and it's quite amusing to the white-haired boy.

Eventually, Elsa has no more fight, and she slumps down in her chair to wait. It's uncomfortable, as it's a hospital, but she will deal with it. Her best friend could have died, and she hadn't even been there! How can she live with herself knowing that he was in danger and she couldn't do anything?

She sighs and fiddles with her fingers, swearing on banana slugs that she'll wait in this dreaded chair for as long as she has to so she can see Jack alive and well.

She waits for thirteen hours, but when she finally gets in the room, they give each other bone-crushing hugs and she's so relieved she (almost) forgets to blush when they do.

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 6: The Sky's Awake ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>It's two thirty-seven in the morning when Jack gets the call.<p>

It hasn't been long since Jack's accident, only a little over a year, but it feels like yesterday that he had been pulled out of the not-frozen-enough pond. He's not afraid of water or anything, but Elsa's been a superstitious freak ever since. He can't so much as drink a glass of iced water without her eying the thing like it'll suddenly errupt into a black vortex of freezing water and broken ice and suck him into it.

His sleep is interrupted by a loud ringtone and vibrating. He unhappily jerks his head up, rubbing his eyes. He groans when he sees the time and moves to cover his head with his pillow, but he reaches out and lazily snatches his phone from the nightstand, sliding it into 'answer'.

"'Ello?" he answers gruffly.

"...Do you want to come over?" a small, stiff, and quiet voice speaks.

"Elsa?" he breathes in and out deeply, attempting to wake up without actually having to wake up. He reaches up to rub his eyes again and brushes his white hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah," she breathes out. Her voice shakes, but he's too busy checking the time to notice.

"Elsa, are you drunk? It's two forty in the morning," he complains, his voice scratchy. Of course she's not drunk, neither he nor Elsa have ever gone near alchohol. They promised not to and that they would go to a bar together on their twenty-first birthdays and make up for the lost years simply because they could. But still, he's questioning her right of mind at her outrageous request.

He expects her to snort and sarcastically correct him that it's only two thirty seven, but instead, he hears a series of shuffling noises and something that sounds suspiciously like a sob.

"Elsa?" he asks warily, sitting up.

"Oh, god, Jack. Save me, please," she whispers. He can almost see her holding the phone away from her face just so he won't actually hear her struggling to breathe. In a way, though, he does anyway.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" Jack is awake now, the only trace of sleep is in his groggy voice.

"Banana slugs," she whispers, a little too breathy for Jack's liking.

A little pause stretches out as he shuts his eyes and falls back against his pillow. Something really bad has happened, he can feel it.

"...Jack?"

"I'll be right over."

He hangs up and pulls on his favorite navy blue sweatshirt- the one that he and Elsa had decorated with snowflake designs- over his bare chest and doesn't even bother with shoes as he scribbles down an explanation to his mom and Emma, then he's out the door. His car pulls out easily, not rumbling and screeching like it normally does. It's like even his car can sense the urgency. His fingers restlessly tap the steering wheel as Stay With Me ironically plays softly on the radio.

He takes deep breaths. He's worried already. Jack can't imagine what must have happened. He's honestly a little scared to find out.

She got the call at eight twelve pm, but she hasn't slept at all since. Anna had snuck into her room and cried herself to sleep in her older sister's embrace, but Elsa still can't bring her eyes to close longer than a lengthened blink.

All she sees when she shuts her eyes is their faces as they slowly slip away on the side of the road, knowing they're never going to see her and Anna again.

They say that they had been there for at least six hours.

She squeezes her eyes closed, but their frightful faces pop back. It's like the time Jack convinced her to watch a scary movie at the Halloween drive in and she hadn't been able to properly fall asleep for weeks on end. Only this is worse. Much, much worse because this is real.

She sets her phone down on the window sill, peering back inside to make sure that Anna's still asleep. She's curled up, her fist grasping her sheets so tight her knuckles are turning white, but at least she's momentarily released from the terrifying truth of it all.

Elsa turns back to the empty air, allowing her legs to swing down. Her window sill is large and juts out, and her window can open all the way- something her and Jack found out when they were eight. She had crawled out here to breath for a bit, but her toes are turning numb and she can no longer feel her fingers. It's a wonder she had been able to dial Jack.

She feels bad and weak for calling him this early, but she can't help it. Plus, he probably needs to know why she's not going to school tomorrow. Originally, she planned on returning the next day, but Anna insisted that they needed a sister day, and she had agreed all too easily.

Now, here she is, sitting on her window sill, watching her breath fan out, offering no warmth to the freezing winter air, her snowflake pajamas offering no warmth to the cold in her body, and the thoughts in her mind offering no warmth to the cold in her heart.

She has yet to cry. It's a strange thing, really. Her eyes are burning from lack of sleep, the need to cry, and the insane concept that her mind can't wrap around. She has curled up in a shaking, fetal ball, she has slid down a wall gasping for air like a fish out of water, and she has clutched her heart, wondering if there could possibly be anything more painful in this world, then thinking probably not. But sitting on this window sill, she worries that if she cries, her tears might freeze the instant they depart her crystalline eyes and stay that way, imprinting tear tracks on her pale cheeks for eternity. Cracking her brand new mask to hide her pain before she even gets the chance the use it.

Life is just so unfair, she decides.

A car pulls down her street in the dead of night- er, morning, but she doesn't blink. It stops in front of her house with the headlights still shining, a blade of light through the thin darkness. She still stares at nothing as Jack steps out, briskly slamming the door closed behind him. He quickly strides up to the front door and doesn't even knock. Elsa listens to him fumble around in the large fern for the rock holding the house key. It doesn't take long and soon, she can no longer hear him as she is outside and he is in.

She hopes he doesn't make too much noise. She doesn't really want to wake Anna. Her cheeks feel hot at him willingly coming with no questions asked at the meer saying of their silly, childish pact.

Definitely unfair. She hasn't asked for any of this. How is any of this fair? How is it fair that she can't accept it? How is it fair that Jack is so good in a world so awful? How is it fair that she'll never get to worry about telling anything to the people who matter most? How is it fair that she'll never have to suffer awkward dinners with her date, whether it be Jack or not? No, no, no, don't think like that! In both aspects!

But it's still not fair. She hates to feel this way, and she wants to slam her hand into the window, making it just as shattered as her heart.

She's never understood why someone would intentionally harm themselves out of depression. She has Anna to worry about, so she wouldn't actually harm herself even if she could bring herself to do it, but she understands why now. She guesses that there are indeed some things that one is too young to understand, and Elsa is no longer happily ignorant and blissfully naiive. She won't actually do it, but she understands now. They do it in the hopes that maybe the physical pain will outweigh the mental.

Maybe it's the same thing with her unreasonable desire to smash the window. Breaking it, just to see that other things can be broken beyond repair, too.

Apparently, Jack doesn't wake Anna, because he quietly slides the window open and slips out to sit next to Elsa. There's plenty of room and neither of them worry about the sill faltering.

He doesn't ask what's wrong like he desperately wants to. Elsa knows he does, but all the same, she's grateful that he doesn't because she isn't sure if she can answer.

He awkwardly wraps one arm around her, pulling her in for a sideways hug, and she's so distressed that she doesn't even blush. She just leans into him.

Jack and Elsa don't know how long it is that they stay like that. It might as well be hours, but it must be only a few minutes because it's still dark when Elsa finally pulls away, ready to give an explanation.

She sniffs and wipes away the moisture in her eyes.

"You don't have to say," he tells her.

She smiles halfheartedly. "I know."

But she still tells him. "A few days ago, my parents left for a business trip. It was a long one, two weeks, but we thought nothing of it. Yesterday, they didn't contact us, so we figured..."

She breaks off to cover her mouth with her hand, blinking away tears that have yet to fall.

Jack gives a small gasp, and Elsa pretends that she can't see his eyes watering.

She closes her eyes for the very same reason she hasn't been able to all night; so she can see her parent's faces. It'll be a long time before she will be able to see them again, so she intends to memorize them now while they're fresh in her mind.

Elsa doesn't tell Jack how the accident happened, how she answered the door completely unaware, how she spent hours trying to braid that blue satin bow into her hair and hurling the brush across the room when she couldn't. She doesn't need to tell him how frightened she is, how unprepared for it all. He already knows.

"Damn," he eventually mutters, shaking his head. Elsa unsteadily breathes, blowing out through her mouth. She doesn't know what to do. Tomorrow has always held so much potential, so much promise, but now, she's afraid. Afraid to go on, afraid what the morning will bring. After all that's happened, time won't stop, the earth won't shake, the world won't end. Life will still come at her head on, whether she's ready for it or not, and that's what she's afraid of.

"They're gone, Jack."

Maybe time won't stop, maybe the earth won't shake, maybe the world won't end, but with those three words, they might as well because, with those three words, Elsa finally falls apart. The realization doesn't dawn on her, she doesn't know nor understand where that comes from. Dawn is slow, peaceful, steady. Oh, no. This realization hits her like the sun colliding with the moon. This saying is much more appropriate. It makes her think back to when Anna and her were younger and Anna would claim "the sky's awake." The thought would be pleasing were she not busy wallowing in her own despair.

It isn't fair that the world isn't going to end. It should. Why does everyone else get to live on with their lives when Elsa gets to deal with this? She's eighteen, so she can hopefully support Anna and herself with her job and their family's wealth, but what about college? What about her hopes and dreams?

The thing about them is that she knows they will still happen. It's just that they won't be there to see them.

Elsa's parents are dead.

Forget the sun and moon, they only exist within the solar system. Everything- from planets to black holes to asteroids to stars- collides in one giant cassanova of an explosion as the truth of it all mercilessly hits her. It's all she can do to watch and hope it will eventually burn out because THAT'S how painful it is. Yes, the sky's awake, but it's making up for the world not ending. She gasps, so quiet that Jack barely hears it, as tear tracks finally pave their way on her cheeks. She's right; they will be there for eternity, and she doesn't believe anything will be able to wash them away.

And through it all, with silent tears sliding down his own face, Jack sits there with his arm around Elsa while she sobs, and together they watch the sky explode.

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 7: A Year Without Goodbyes ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>Elsa sits on the plane, fidgeting. It's been a year since she's seen Anna, and she can't wait, but that's not really what she's nervous about. Summer has come, and she thinks she's the only one not looking forward to it.<p>

Because while she hasn't seen Anna in a year, that means she hasn't seen Jack in a year as well. Which, furthermore, leads to it's been a year since she left without a goodbye.

Sure, he knew she was going to college, but she hadn't told him where, or when. So she pretty much chickened out and left the goodbyes to her younger sister. She had thought that maybe some time...

But, unfortunately, nothing has changed, for better or for worse. For worse, she definitely thinks. Her childhood crush, also her best friend, also Jack, hasn't dispersed in the past year like she thought- hoped- it would,

The flight is six hours, but it isn't long enough. She busies herself in her architecture designs, but it only makes time go faster. She's not sure what's worse, worrying about it or not worrying about it.

All too soon, she's getting off the plane. Her two suitcases are easy enough to have, and she's already shipped everything else.

Nervous as she is, she still can't wait to see Anna.

She gets off the plane, scanning the room, but turns out, she doesn't need to. Anna, the little fiery ball, is standing on a seat, frantically waving her arms about and ignoring the stares she gets from other people.

"Oh my gosh! Elsa! Over here! It's me! Your sister, Anna!"

Elsa is so happy she can't even think to be embarrassed. She goes running over to the little redhead and crushes her to her. She's laughing and smiling and maybe even crying a little. A year is too long, but Anna's too young to fly on her own. She only got her driver's license a couple months ago, and Elsa was a little skeptical about her driving all the way to the airport, but the only other option driving-wise was Jack, and, well...

"Okay, you are never allowed to leave again! I am locking you in the basement- but, wait, we don't have a basement, and I won't REALLY lock you up in the nonexistant basement, just, figuratively speaking, you know, but I missed you so much and we have to go do something!" Anna hasn't changed all that much either. She still has her strawberry blonde hair braided in two pigtails, her freckles adorning her bubbly face, and her loud wardrobe is just as appealing as ever to match her equally loud and appealing personality.

"Anna, breathe," she laughs, picking up her bags again. Anna helps her and almost drops it, so Elsa takes it back again.

"Oh, by the way, a certain someone came by again, today. He wanted to know when you were coming home. And I-"

"You did not tell him!"

"I didn't! Okay? I know you told me not to so I kept my lips shut, I swear. But it was so hard! And I can't lie, you know that. But I kept it together. He seemed pretty curious. You know what I say, I think he likes you."

"Well of course he likes me, silly," Elsa cuts in.

"No, I mean like REALLY likes you. Why else would he be trying to know when you get back home?"

"Because he probably wants to disown me for leaving and not even saying anything! Besides, you know what's going on there," Elsa lowers her voice, as though Jack is listening now.

"I know, but, hear me out, 'kay? Look, maybe if you just told him-"

"Stop there, you know how I feel about this-"

"Oh you bet I do," Anna wiggles her eyebrows, and Elsa shoves her shoulder,

"I think I like you better when you were twelve and drooling over Hans," Elsa snickers.

"Don't even mention that!" Anna screeches, pressing a hand over her heart in mock offense. One second later, she's back to walking-more-like-bouncing-up-and-down alongside Elsa, chipper as a squirrel.

"Anna, I think we need to switch you to decaf," Elsa eyes Anna, but she just laughs it off.

"Don't be silly, that'd be child abuse. But you are never leaving me again. I mean, you'd never leave me, not really because we're sisters and we're always gonna be there, except when we're not, but then we'll always be there in spirit but it's not the same, you know?"

Elsa nods, all too used to following her sister's quick ramblings.

"Anyways, can you at least text him back? How many have you gotten? And what about the calls?"

Elsa coughs out some absurd number beneath her breath.

"What was that?" Anna rolls forward on her toes, leaning close with her teal cow eyes.

Elsa sighs. "Two hundred and fifty three, on average there was about seven calls a week, sometimes more, sometimes less."

"Elsa, please! Just call him!"

"No. Anyway, I'm sure he hates me now, so why bother?"

"His hair's still white."

"Pardon?"

"His hair. It's still bleached white. You guys are still white-haired freaks together."

Elsa groans, "Remind me again why I told you that?"

"Cause I'm your baby sister." Elsa can imagine her sister lifting off the ground and spinning upside down with her tone of voice.

"Come on, baby sister. We need to get home."

"Please? Just tell him? I know you guys will get together, I can feel it."

"I'll give you twenty dollars when that happens," Elsa rolls her eyes, but inwardly she's blushing.

After a few minutes of silence, Anna says, "I may have told him what college you were going to."

The car screeches to a stop and only because it's illegal (oh, and because she's her sister...) does Elsa not murder her.

It's a three hour drive, so it's dark when they get home. Elsa can barely see the ground as she and Anna haul her suitcases up the stairs.

"It's good to be home," Elsa smiles, opening the unlocked door. She's in such a good mood that she doesn't care that Anna forgot to lock up the house.

"Just don't hate me," Anna had said when she had exclaimed that she forgot to lock the door.

"I won't hate you," Elsa had laughed.

"We need cake. And ice cream! Oh, and movies, and friendship/sister bracelets, and then you need to tell me all about college, is it good, is it fun? Is it something I should worry about? Cause I want the work to be hard, but not HARD, know what I'm saying?"

Elsa bursts out laughing, something she hasn't done in a long time.

"Anna, calm yourself! Yes, college was amazing, the work's fine, it's pretty fun-"

"Hi, Elsa."

"Hey Jack. Oh, and everything's-"

Elsa stops talking like that, her smile fades in a matter of seconds as she stares from her best friend whom she hasn't seen in a year since she left without saying goodbye to her sister who looks suspiciously guilty.

Jack is nonchalantly standing in her living room, looking just as annoyingly handsome as ever with his hands clasped behind his back. Sure enough, his hair is still white. It's still messy, but he's just the same, if not a little older and maybe the taddest bit more handsome.

The silence stretches on as Elsa stares at the two of them.

"Traitor!" she finally shouts, pointing her finger accsingly at Anna. They both errupt after that.

"I know, I know, but I just couldn't! Elsa, please don't be mad, but I had to-" Anna starts, waving her arms around wildly.

"You little stinker, you promised! I can't believe..." Elsa says at the same time.

Jack doesn't say anything.

Anna eventually walks over to Elsa and starts to push her. Elsa objects, but soon enough, she's being shoved aside. After that, Anna turns tail and runs upstairs, locking herself in her room.

"Well, that happened," Jack chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck.

Elsa visibly deflates, hanging her head. Why? Of all the things for Anna to do, why couldn't she have kept this promise? She can't deal with this now, she can't, she won't. No, she refuses.

"Well, thank you for coming, but I'm afraid I'm terribly busy and I have to unpack, then go to sleep so I'll see you around-"

"Banana slugs."

Elsa snaps her eyes to look at him from scanning the room for escape.

"Jack, please don't-"

"Hey, you swore, Snow Queen." Jack is staring at her, and she hates that she can't read the look in his eyes.

She sighs, a little too over exaggerated. She nods her head outside, then turns before he can respond.

She stalks over to the door, slipping out while Jack silently follows her. She's not quite sure where she's headed, but they end up at the creek. She doesn't know if he does it on purpose, but he has ditched his shoes somewhere.

The air is warm, as it always is in summer.

She stops abruptly, spinning on her heel to face him.

"Alright. What?"

"What?"

"You're the one who called banana slugs. Let's just get it over with."

"Over with?" Jack snorts. "Are you kidding me? Okay, so, you leave for a year without so much as saying goodbye and then you don't answer any of my calls? Who the hell does that?"

"Apparently me," she argues back. She does feel bad. The guilt ate at her every single day, but if this is what'll get her over her senseless feelings, she's willing. Besides, she's tired and she can't deal with this now. So, she's a little snappy.

"What- do you hate me now or something? Because, sorry if I'm a little confused on this, but that's pretty much the scenario here." Jack rubs his eyes, frustrated, and Elsa tries not to apologize a million times. She had her reasons for leaving, why can't he understand that?

"I don't hate you," she says, at least. "I just...I couldn't tell you. And I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this right now. If this isn't a serious matter, then I have no need to be here." she turns to leave, but Jack stops her.

"This is important! Does anything that ever happened mean anything to you? Does it matter that it was awful waiting a year for you to come home and not even tell me? Did you even have any intentions of contacting me at all?"

"I did," she replies, but both of them hear the half lie.

"Great. So thanks, that makes everything okay now. You know, Elsa, you, you are something, that's for sure."

Elsa should leave. She really should. But instead, her face boils with all the emotions she's felt in the past four years and bubbles into something else- anger.

"You, Jack Overland, are one to talk! Do you realize that it was hard for me, too? Do you realize why I left in the first place? Maybe goodbye was too hard, did you think about that? And I can't depend on you my whole life! I need to be something other than the girl with no parents! God, this is so hard and you are so oblivious it's literally painful. You're not helping matters at all! And then you have to do all these things to thwart my efforts and you just have the nerve to show up looking like that-"

Elsa slaps her hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to let that last part slip out.

But Jack, the little weasel, notices automatically, and his eyes light up with mischief.

"Oh? Show up like what?" he raises an eyebrow.

"Nothing," she immediately says, "it was nothing. Just forget it. Good night."

"I don't think so," he smirks, taking a step towards her. Elsa's face is red, but for another reason. She masks it with anger and storms up to him.

"I hate you," she announces, glaring at him.

"Oh, I bet." he looks away for a moment to laugh. This only makes her angrier.

"Jack Overland, don't make me-"

"Make you do what?"

"Why you little-"

She doesn't get the chance to finish. In the heat of the moment, she reaches up and grabs the front of his shirt with one fist, angrily pulling him down to crush her lips against his in a heated kiss.

Then, the heat is gone and she jerks herself back. Her eyes are as wide as saucers as she takes short breaths and she CANNOT believe she just did that.

In the corner of her vision, she can see Jack reach up with his one hand and gently touch his lips, the ones she just kissed. What a way to ruin everything.

"Whoa," he says, and it snaps Elsa out of her dazed/horrified state.

"Oh, God, I-I'm sorry," she stutters. Before she can embarrass herself further, she turns tail and fully sprints back to the house.

Jack says something she can't make out. Then, she's fairly certain he curses under his breath before he recovers and shouts, "Elsa, wait!"

"Don't follow me!" she shouts out to him, but she's not sure he heard. She doesn't really care, she's too busy fleeing like a bat out of hell.

When she reaches the porch, she takes the steps four at a time and yanks open the door. Only, Anna must have locked it as they left.

"Anna! I'm gonna kill you, let me in!" she demands, pulling on the door. She then reaches for the key, but it's gone. Elsa doesn't generally cuss, but she freely lets out a stream of curses as she realizes that Anna has taken the key, too.

"Elsa!" Jack leaps up onto the porch behind her, and she spins around to face him. Both of their chests are heaving, but Elsa is not going through this right now.

She lets out an undignified squeal before darting past a surprised Jack and back down the porch. She's headed for the forest.

"Elsa! Get back here!" Jack shouts behind her, but luckily, she has a head start and is only a little slower than Jack. But she can't run forever.

She reaches the trees and stops behind one. She presses flat against it, willing her heart to stop racing and her breath to slow. She can hear Jack racing behind her, so she does the only thing she can; she darts away.

There's a very large, very dead stump of a tree, and that's where she runs into him.

"Elsa, just stop running for a minute!" Jack commands.

"No!" she refuses, and darts one way, which Jack blocks her off. The only option is to run deeper into the woods, and it's too dark to fully sprint. He'd catch her for sure.

He tries to run forward, but she darts around the other way, but he quickly cuts her off again. Elsa shrieks in frustration.

"Jack! Let me go!"

"By all means, go," he gestures. She tries to run, but he beats her to it, and she's forced to retreat. He laughs and she glares at him as she realizes that he's actually enjoying himself.

"This is pointless!" she protests as she is once again cut off.

"I fully agree. Let's talk this over like adults- oh, wait, we are adults," he grins, flashing a smile that Elsa has to look away from.

She can't help it- she lets out a couple small, gleeful laughs as she tries to dodge his movements and making her own, only to be cut off again. But she shoves her fist in her mouth, doing her best to uphold her glare.

"Elsa, would you stop it?"

"No! Just leave already!"

"You first," he remarks.

"Go to hell!"

"Only if you go with me, Snow Queen."

She lets out a scream, completely pissed off. "Just leave already! Why are you so concerned about this!"

"Are you serious? You're the one who kissed me! What do you expect me to do?"

"Duh, not care and leave already!"

"Stop acting like a child!"

"Stop BEING a child!"

She tries once more to run, but he stops her...again.

"Oh for God's sake, Elsa- aw, hell. Screw this."

Before Elsa can react, Jack leaps gracefully over the stump and expertly maneuvers his way to her in a matter of seconds. She blinks, just the slightest bit frozen.

Then, she realizes what just happened and tries to dart off, but he catches her arm.

She struggles to get free, kicking blindly and clawing at whatever she can.

"Let me go!" she cries.

"Ow!" he complains, but his grip is still tight on her arm. He struggles to grab her other arm. "Elsa, stop it! What are you doing?"

"What are YOU doing?" she asks back, still fighting desperately for freedom.

"Oh, you know, going for a midnight stroll," he says sarcastically.

"What are you doing?" she repeats, feeling satisfied when she hits something solid, but then cursing hrself when her hand comes back pulsing in pain.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm doing...this."

She's just about to retort something offensive and probably something she'll regret later in life, but instead, she's met with Jack pulling her close and kissing her. Hard.

Her eyes fly open and she flinches back for a moment, but he doesn't let her go and she slowly starts to kiss him back.

They both break away, gasping for breath. Elsa is blushing like crazy and she can feel his eyes digging holes into her face.

"What...?" she says, confused.

"I've wanted to do that for a while now," he admits. He blushes, but she can't find any hint of regret in his voice. This somehow feeds her meager confidence. "It's getting cold out. You wanna go back in?"

It isn't really all that cold, but by the normal standards, yes, it's cold.

Elsa takes a deep breath, debating on which side in her mind she should listen to. The one saying run or the one saying what are you waiting for?

She looks up at him, squaring her shoulders.

"The cold never bothered me, anyway," she responds bravely.

"Good because I wasn't really going to let you leave."

She inhales sharply, and Jack leans his head to kiss her again. Elsa gasps a little when her back hits a tree, but she doesn't protest. She just closes her eyes tighter.

He pauses for a moment to say, "You are never allowed to go a year without goodbyes."

"Deal," she agrees.

"I know it's a little inconvenient, but would you like to go on a date with me?"

She laughs. "Yes, I would."

Then, she tips upwards to press her lips against his once again. But she immediately pulls away.

"What?"

"Dammit," she says, "I owe Anna twenty dollars."

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 8: Because Everything Is Better With 'I Do' ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>Elsa races in her car to the bridge over the wide part of the creek. She'd gotten the note with the scrawled handwriting only a few minutes before.<p>

'Banana slugs' it had said, and what else could that mean?

Elsa has been worrying about what could be happening this entire time. What if he's been secretly depressed and left the note so they find...the body? She likes to think he'd tell her if anything is wrong, but now she's not sure. That haunting note left on her pillow on a blue sticky note. Who knows how long it had been there?

They've been dating ever since three and a half years ago when they had returned from the woods hand in hand, with Anna bouncing around screaming, 'I told you so!'. When Elsa had gone to back for college, they had broken up for claims of long distance relationship issues, but that only lasted for a couple months before Anna arranged for a flight ticket for him and Jack had flown out to Elsa's college just so he could kiss her and ask her out again, to which she happily and easily agreed to.

They have plenty of fall outs, but they know each other so well that most of them end in the two of them bursting out laughing and hugging it out.

But now she's worrying about, well, everything. What is Jack up to, and why would he call banana slugs?

In all honesty, she's not in love with Jack anymore. With no regrets, she fully loves him. Wholeheartedly. It's something that's just become easy to say and admit. What could be wrong? The worry is eating at her stomach, and she chews her bottom lip.

She thinks back to everything, smiling or cringing at each memory.

She still laughs that Jack had actually eaten a banana slug. The memory makes her want to gag and she's a little too reassured that she hadn't eaten one. Looking back on it, it was really touching, the story behind his white hair. Whenever anyone asked about it, Elsa always hid her face while Jack proudly explained so he could be a white-haired freak with her. She wonders if they could have avoided that whole night when she got back from college if she had called that one time while standing in the creek. Who knows? She had asked him relentlessly when he had starting falling for her, but he never responded. She was sixteen, and it had taken her that long, so she isn't sure when he started to. Maybe she isn't as observant as she likes to think herself as.

She doesn't like to think of her parents much, so she painfully shoves that one away.

She pulls into the parkinglot and practically leaps out while it's still rolling. The car's still running as she runs to the bridge, but Elsa doesn't care. Banana slugs isn't something to take lightly.

Elsa's sure she looks like a mess. Her hair is pulled back messily in its signature French braid, with barely any makeup adorning her face. She has on a light blue sweater and a pair of orange shorts that don't really match anything. They're Anna's, she recalls, offering a completely acceptable explanation as to why. Her feet are bare, she realizes much to her amusement.

The amusement vanishes as soon as she sees Jack.

He's staring out at the distance, his face a little troubled. He's wearing his navy blue snowflake sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up at his elbows, and a pair of brown shorts. His feet are ungarnished with shoes, as well.

She exhales frustratedly at how attractive she finds him right now.

Then, she remember that he called banana slugs and rushes over to him.

"Jack!" she calls.

He gives her a somber look, and she's suddenly so worried. It's like the ice accident all over again, only it's her in the water.

"Jack?" she says when she reaches him. "What's wrong?"

"Elsa, we have a banana slug pact, right? And I promised that I would never break off our friendship, I would always be there for you, I would always come no matter what, should you need me."

"Yes..." he sounds so sorry and regretful...Oh.

Elsa blinks, trying not to believe what he's about to do. How could he? They had been together forever!

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to break off our friendship."

"I get it, it's okay, Jack." Elsa says.

"No, it's not, I'm always going to-"

"Don't worry about it. Just... I don't want this to happen, I'll be honest with you, okay? Please don't say it. It'll be harder to take it in, okay?" she bites her lip.

"Oh. Okay then."

"Hey, just promise we'll still be friends, okay?"

His jaw drops a little when she says this. He stares at her for the longest unconfortable time. She looks down, ebarrassed, and shuffles with her feet.

"Oka-ay, or not. Um," she clears her throat awkwardly. "Okay, I guess I'll see you around. Bye, Jack."

She turns and walks away, red from embarrassment. She wonders what happened to make him want to break up with her and not even be friends afterwards. She had thought that everything was going fine.

Behind her, Jack is making a concerning noise but she refuses to look back. She still loves him and it's too painful.

"Oh, shoot," she hears behind her. "Elsa, wait!"

She doesn't want to talk anymore, so she speeds up her walking. Unfortunately, he's still faster than her.

But to her surprise, she's spun around and kissed gently while Jack...laughs?

"What the...?" Elsa asks, dazed, when he oulls away, still laughing.

"Oh, Elsa. Always jumping to conclusions," he chuckles.

She furrows her brow at him. "Explain. Now."

"Well, I suppose that could have gone better for both of us. Anyhow, can I start over?"

"I don't know, can you?" it slips out before Elsa can stop herself, and she blushes while Jack rolls his eyes at her.

He then falls serious, and stand straighter, clearing his throat.

"Elsa Arendelle, we've been best friends since we were five, going as far as the banana slug pact for it. And we've had our ups and downs, but through it all, we've always been together."

"And...?" Elsa asks.

"I'm getting there," he tells her to be patient. "And don't take this in the wrong way this time, okay? But I'm going to have to go against our pact; I'm going to break off our friendship."

"How am I not supposed to take that the wrong way?" Elsa protests.

Jack chuckles. "You're always gonna be my best friend, though. And you know what they say," he slowly reaches into his pocket, bending down on one knee as Elsa's eyes widen in the correct realization, "you always marry your best friend."

The ring is thin and silver, with a tiny crystal snowflake. It's gorgeously simple and absolutely perfect.

"Do you, Elsa Arendelle the Snow Queen, take me to be your future husband?"

She doesn't hesitate. "Yes!"

She leans down to throw her arms around his and looks into his eyes. To add to her confusion for the day, his eyes are narrowed in annoyance.

"What, were you hoping I'd say 'no'?" Elsa exclaims, confused and worried for the third time.

"Actually, that's what I thought you were doing, but you're supposed to say 'I do,'" he pouts, crossing his arms. But he finishes his show with a wink. She lets out a laugh at this.

"Why?" she asks, just for the spite of it.

He stands up and grabs her in his arms, spinning her around and as she lands, he welcomes her with a passionate and loving kiss.

"Because everything is better with 'I do,'" he explains against her lips.

Of course Elsa is sad that her parents won't be there to see her get married, and she spends hours with Anna crying about it. She wishes more than anything that she can see them again, but that's not the way it is. They would be proud of her. Actually, no, they'd be beaming at her and shouting, 'I told you so!' just like a certain strawberry blonde sister of hers.

On the day of the wedding (in the middle of winter, because they're not much of summer people anyway), it's not the beautiful, silver-sequined dress that Jack's jaw drops at, it's just Elsa herself. And when the priest announces that he may now kiss his bride, he pauses just before their lips meet.

"Yes?" she whispers, her eyes lightly closed.

"You were right," he whispers back. "Everything's better with 'I do.' Don't you agree?"

Elsa opens one eye to see him wink at her, and she gives him a smirk in disguise as a smile. "I do."

* * *

><p><strong>₩ Moment 9: Technically It's A Banana Slug ₩<strong>

* * *

><p>It's not a year later when banana slugs is next used. In fact, it's the very next day.<p>

Elsa wakes to the morning light, grinning uncontrollably when she stares at her wedding band while she brushes her teeth. When she walks back to the bedroom, she notices the blue sticky note on Jack's pillow.

She already knows what it says. Actually, she thinks it's very same one that he used a few months ago. She has no idea that he had kept it this whole time. It's faded and crinkled but the words are still perfectly (well, as perfectly as Jack's handwriting can be) legible.

She walks down and there's something in a black bag laying on the kitchen table.

"Jack, what is this?"

"Good morning," he kisses her forehead, something that he's happily done every single morning before, and something that he's always going to do. It's a nice tradition, something that shows Elsa nothing has really changed now that she's married. Wow, 'Elsa' and 'married' in the same sentence, without 'not' in between the two words. Who would have thought?

"So...this?" she asks, skeptical.

"Oh yeah. We're going to dinner tonight," he says calmly.

"Jack, don't tell me this is a dress."

"Okay. It's not a dress. But there may or may not be one inside."

"Jack!"

"Blame Anna, she helped me pick it out!" he shoved his hands in the air in surrender.

"Just how fancy is this dinner for needing a dress?" Elsa eyes the dress, afraid to look at it.

"Meh, pretty fancy. I'm renting my tux another day for it."

"Jack, a dinner like that has to be expensive. I know we're not really short on money, but we could be some time in the future," she argues.

"We might. Or we might not. Come on, let me be a nice guy and take you out to dinner."

"Jack, you can take me out to dinner at a Chinese take out restaurant and I'd be happy. And you already are a nice guy."

"Well, thank you, but we're still going."

"Ugh. Why do I even bother?"

"I ask myself the very same question every single day."

In response, she throws a plate at him but he catches it before it shatters. She rolls her eyes and walks back to the room to go back to sleep.

That night, Elsa spends at least five minutes just staring at the dress. It's a long, light blue, her favorite color. The bodice is adorned with shining sequins and designed in a sleeveless sweatheart neckline. The skirt falls to the floor in a slimming manner, and she can't imagine Jack picking this out.

No wonder Anna had given her a pair of beautiful blue heels for the wedding. She'll have to thank Anna next time she sees her, she thinks as she slips it on. It fits perfectly and she's a little disgusted with how much she adores this dress.

"Okay Jack! Hurry up!" she shouts from downstairs.

"Coming, Snow Queen!" he calls from upstairs. She finds it amusing and just the tiniest bit ironic that she's always the one ready first.

Jack comes walking down the stairs fumbling with his bow tie.

Elsa chuckles. "Who taught you how to tie a tie?" she asks like she always does.

"You," he responds as per usual.

"Well I never thought you'd suck so much at it," she laughs and takes the black tie out of his hands, quickly adjusting it in a matter of seconds.

"There," she flattens it with the palm of her hand, a small smile on her face as she finally realizes that her best friend is now her husband. She isn't quite sure how to accept it, so she sticks to what she does know; she loves Jack, and he loves her. That's the only thing that matters right now.

"God, I love you," Jack tells her and plants a loving but playful kiss on her lips.

"I should hope so."

"Alright, ready?"

"Born ready," she responds.

They smile and politely make conversation while they drive. The restaurant is very nice with classical music in the background and the waiters in fancy uniforms. Elsa finds it very refreshing, but a little far out for their taste. They're still children at heart. She has even braided the blue satin bow in her hair like always.

But she knows that this is what Jack wants for them, so she doesn't say anything.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Elsa asks as she sips a glass of wine and glances at the menu.

"Sorry, but, you don't get a choice. I'm ordering, okay?"

"That's fine," she says, trusting him. She feels a little confined, like she can't really talk to him. Jack tugs at his collar every now and then, and she knows that he's uncomfortable as well. Why would he bring them here?

Jack orders two "special orders," something Elsa did not see on the menu.

A few minutes later of an uncomfortable silence, the waiter comes out with a small dish of some sort that is brown with something yellow-ish mixed in.

She hopes that everything won't be like this now that they're married. She worries for a moment that they will be, but she has to give everything the benefit of the doubt.

Jack slowly reaches for his fork, eying Elsa as she picks up her own, pushing around the mystery dish and trying to identify it.

"Are you going to eat?" she asks.

"Uh huh," he responds.

She stares at him for a moment, but then decides to brush it off. She delicately spears one of the brown chunks and a bit of the yellow things. It doesn't taste bad. Not at all. If anything, it's a little tough and chewy. Salty, too. But not half bad.

She looks up to see the grin that she's been missing all night.

Elsa's so relieved that she doesn't ask him why he's staring at her.

"So," he eats a bite of his own mystery dish, "remember our banana slugs pact?"

"Course, how could I forget?"

"Well, you know. So, on our first night, I figured that we should renew the pact."

Elsa puts down her fork.

"Is this why you're treating me to a fancy dinner? So I'll agree to eat a freaking banana slug? Jack, I refused to do it when we were five, what makes you think I'll do it now?"

He chuckles. "The funny is thing is; you already have."

"Pardon?"

"Did you know that the snail is a cousin to the slug?"

"Yes, I did," she says.

Jack shovels some of the yellow things onto his fork.

"Banana," he announces, delightfully eating it.

"Oh, gosh," Elsa shuts her eyes. "Don't tell me..."

"Snails," he says proudly, forking a small amount of the escargo into his mouth.

"I can't believe you. Actually, I can because it's exactly something you would do." she covers her mouth with her hand, wishing she can spit the snails back up. Something about knowing what they are makes them suddenly very unappetizing.

"So, technically, it's a banana slug. You just ate a banana slug."

She can't help it, she bursts into laughter. Luckily, it isn't too loud so she doesn't draw too much attention.

"Alright, ready?" he asks, standing up.

"Ready?" she questions.

"Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here."

She beams up at him, all too happy to leave the fancy restaurant behind. They leave together after paying for the appetizers with the added banana slices. Jack takes her to a Chinese take out restaurant just for laughs. This is more what she expects for the rest of their lives. Nothing has changed between them, except that they're in love.

Because they are not only husband and wife, but best friends, this is why they don't mind that they are sitting in a dingy place in fancy clothing, why they don't mind that Jack's tie is loose now with the collar unbuttoned and both of their shoes deserted under the table, why they don't mind the strange looks they get when they order a cup of mustard, and why they don't mind the scene they cause when Jack drinks it. He agrees with her, though, that drinking mustard is actually like eating a real live banana slug, and he's in a place to talk.

So when they leave the restaurant two hours later hand in hand, his still a perfect fit to hers, they know that they are as close as close can possibly be because, after all, what other couples have a banana slug pact on their friendship they've kept since they were five?

* * *

><p><strong>fin.<strong>


End file.
